Mercedes-Benz Gullwing touring NZ

Video: The brand new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing has touched down for the first time in New Zealand

The NZD$450,000 Mercedes-Benz touched down in Auckland last week, and is one of only nine SLS Gullwings that will land in New Zealand this year (seven of these have already sold to customers).

Fans around the country have the chance to get up close and personal with the SLS Gullwing on public open days. (Find one in your area.)

“The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing is one of those very special vehicles, a car steeped in nostalgia and history. Quite simply it sets pulses racing. When we received our allocation of nine of these beauties we knew we had to give all Kiwis the opportunity to see an important piece of motoring history,” says Coby Duggan, Mercedes-Benz Passenger Car General Manager.

First released in 1954, the 2010 SLS Gullwing is a reinterpretation of the original Mercedes-Benz 300SL. The original ‘Gullwing’ vehicle crowned Sports Car of the Century was the fastest production car of its day.

The 2010 SLS is a modern take on a 50 year old design, retaining some of its key distinctive features but blending it with modern technologies.

The new SLS Gullwing retains the long bonnet and short rear deck combination of old, as well as the striking ‘Gullwing’ doors. The wide radiator grille with its large Mercedes star, the wing shaped fins on the bonnet and the flanks also harp back to the legendary sports car of the 1950s.

The ‘Gullwing’ will accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds, before going on to top speed of 317 km/h (electronically limited). It features an eight-cylinder Mercedes-AMG engine that develops 420 kW/571 hp at 6800 rpm, making the SLS AMG one of the most powerful sports cars in its segment.

The car features a low centre of gravity and lightweight construction that drops the vehicle’s kerb weight to 1620 kilograms.

“Mercedes-Benz is a company that is dedicated to innovation – from the invention of the very first automobile in 1886 to this new legend of unrivalled performance. There were certain design lines we couldn’t go past in the original 300SL Gullwing but coupled with the new engine, aluminium frame and futuristic interior design we have created a vehicle that truly turns heads and pushes boundaries,” says Duggan.